Morocco Arrests Over 91,000 for Violating COVID-19 Emergency Measures

The rate of prosecutions in pre-trial detention does not exceed 4.76%, said the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor’s Office last Friday in a statement. This represents about 4,362 individuals out of all the people brought before the courts for violating the state of health emergency. The same press release specifies that out of the 4,362 people arrested, 558 of them are being prosecuted for violating the state of health emergency. While for the remaining 3,804, the violation of the state of health emergency is associated with other offenses. These include drug trafficking, theft or violence.

As of Friday, May 22, 2020, the same source reports that 91,623 individuals have been prosecuted for violating the state of emergency, since the entry into force of Decree-Law 2.20.292 on the state of health emergency and the procedures for its declaration. The prosecutions are part of the implementation of the repressive provisions provided for by the decree-law, the statement said. The Public Prosecutor’s Office, counting on the citizens’ awareness, called for respect for the measures decided by the public authorities in order to allow the kingdom to curb the spread of the virus.